NOTE: Thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter! I'm glad you're enjoying it! This chapter is a bit dialogue heavy, but hopefully you'll like it. Let me know what you think!

Chapter 2: Reputations

"My God, you really had to pee didn't you?"

"I've been holding it in for a long time," said Ethan, urinating on a bush. "Are you sure it's okay that I'm doing this?"

"Who's going to know?" asked Shaundi. She looked up at a security camera and it moved to focus on her. She faced her back to it and turned her attention to Ethan, "I'm sorry we couldn't use my bathroom. It's in the middle of a remodel and I don't have a toilet at the moment."

"It's okay, I don't mind roughin' it."

"There are 35 bathrooms in this house," said Shaundi. "You'd think one would be free."

"Again, it's okay."

He finished and shook himself dry before zipping up his pants. He reached out and searched for Shaundi's shoulder again. They started making their way toward the house when an old Dodge Charger drove by. Ethan stopped to listen. He cocked his ear toward its roaring engine and smiled.

"That's a Gen 2 Hemi, the racing model," he said following the car with his ear. "Sounds like it's in mint condition, the owner must take really good care of it."

"How do you know that?" asked Shaundi, watching the car drive off. Ethan pointed to his ears and she raised her brow. "You could tell all that just by hearing it?"

"You know that saying, 'you always want what you can't have'? Well, it's hard to buy a car when you can't drive," he said, touching his sunglasses. "I've learned to pay attention to the sounds they make. It's something I've been doing all my life, not just with cars, but with everything."

Shaundi struck a small smile and tapped his hand, "I want to show you something," she said.

"What?"

"Just come with me."

She gently tugged his hand and led him to the garage. The doors opened and they stepped inside. On a wall next to the garage entrance was a line of keys. Shaundi grabbed a set and led Ethan to a brand new, silver Audi.

"Where are we?" he asked. Shaundi didn't answer and pushed the car's remote start causing its engine to roar. Ethan smiled and stepped toward it, following the sound. He reached out his hand and placed it on the hood of the car. He stood quietly for a moment, feeling the vibrations under his palm.

"Well?" asked Shaundi. Ethan smiled again and removed his hand from the car.

"It's a 2.0 TFSI, an Audi engine, brand new is my guess. It doesn't even sound like it's been driven."

"That is amazing," she said in surprise. He let out a small chuckle and touched the hood of the car again.

"What color is it?" he asked.

"Silver."

"Huh, I thought it would be purple," he said, running his hand along its smooth exterior.

"It will be, eventually," she told him. "Why? Do you not like purple?"

"It doesn't make a difference to me," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "I have no perception of color. I've come up with my own interpretations of what colors look like, but I have no way of knowing if I'm correct. I tend to associate them with feelings, I find it's easier."

"So, how..." Shaundi's words drifted away and Ethan took notice.

"What?" he asked.

"It's nothing, never mind."

"Were you going to ask how long I've been blind?"

"Yes, actually," said Shaundi. "I'm sorry, I'm sure you get that question a lot."

"I don't mind answering it. I was born without the ability to see. I had an infection while in the womb that caused the nerves in my eyes to deteriorate," said Ethan. "But, enough about me. What is it that you do here exactly?"

Shaundi smiled and pushed a button the remote to turn off the car. She crossed her arms and stepped toward him, the clicks of her heels echoing throughout the huge garage.

"I'm Head of the Secret Service," she said, stopping inches away from him. He raised his brow and whistled.

"Wow, so you make sure The President is safe and sound?" he asked.

"Yes, which is hard considering his lifestyle, but my men do a good job of keeping things in order when I'm not around."

"Is that why you brought me down here? To interrogate me and make sure I'm not a terrorist?"

She smiled, "I have a confession to make, I already who you were."

"You did?" asked Ethan.

"Yes, we don't hire anyone unless we do extensive background checks," said Shaundi. "When you told me your name and that you were with the band, I remembered your file. However, it failed to mention your talent for recognizing car engines."

Ethan smiled and Shaundi took notice of his white teeth. They were mesmerizing and she had to shake her head to regain her focus.

"We should be heading back," she told him. "Civilians aren't really allowed in here."

He put his hand on her shoulder again and she led him back to the house. They walked through the back door when a young man called, "Hey! I've been looking for you all over. Where the hell have you been?" he asked, running up to Ethan.

"David, this is Shaundi," said Ethan, his hand still on her shoulder. "She was showing me the grounds."

"I'm sure she was," said David, eyeing Shaundi from head to toe. "Come on, the band's been waiting. We're late for our last set."

As David pulled him away, Ethan smiled and said "I'll be seeing you." to Shaundi.

"Ah, that's funny," she said with a small laugh before turning to leave. She wanted to make the rounds and check with her agents before heading back to bed.

David continued to pull Ethan across the room and stopped in a corner, "What are you doing? Do you have any idea who that was?" he asked.

"Shaundi," said Ethan.

"Yeah, THE Shaundi. Or, did you forget that we're at a Saints party? That woman has slept with half the men in the U.S. since they took over the country."

"I don't think that's physically possible," said Ethan. "Besides, she seemed really nice."

"They all seem nice at first, man," said David. "I just don't want you to get hurt again."

"I don't need you to look out for me. I can take care of myself."

"You're right. I'm sorry," said David, patting his shoulder. "I keep forgetting that just because you're blind, doesn't mean you can't see."

"Actually, that is what that means, but I understand what you're trying to say. "

"Just be careful, that woman only thinks of one thing."

Ethan ignored him as they made their way toward the stage to continue the show.